To find your Social Security work credits, the fastest way is to create a free, secure account at www.ssa.gov/myaccount (my Social Security) to view your online earnings record and benefit estimates. You can also request a paper Social Security Statement by mail, which details your earnings and credits, or call the Social Security Administration (SSA) for assistance.
For 2025, you must earn $1,810 to get one Social Security credit, and $7,240 to earn the maximum amount of four credits. You can find out how many work credits you've acquired by checking your Social Security statement (online or via mail).
You earn credits based on your income, not the number of hours you work. The SSA updates the dollar amount needed to earn a credit each year. You earn one credit for every set amount of wages or self-employment income. The dollar amount changes each year, but you can earn up to four credits annually.
Check Your Official Records
For the most accurate count, reach out to your school's registrar or academic advisor. They can provide a detailed summary of credits earned, those currently in progress, and the requirements still remaining.
Credits are based on your total wages and self-employment income for the year. You might work all year to earn four credits, or you might earn enough for all four in less time. The amount of earnings it takes to earn a credit may change each year.
You can see accounts linked to your SSN primarily through your credit reports (via AnnualCreditReport.com) for loans/credit, ChexSystems for bank accounts, your Social Security account for work history, and the Department of Labor's Retirement Savings Lost and Found for old 401(k)s; there's no single master list, so checking these multiple sources covers most financial and work-related accounts.
You may request your reports in three main ways:
Contact your school counselor or registrar to get login details for your school's online portal. Use your student ID to access your academic records, credit summary and transcripts. Some schools may use platforms like Parchment for credit verification.
You cannot get Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits on your own work record if you don't have enough work credits, but you might qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. While the SSDI program requires applicants to meet a work credits requirement, the SSI program does not.
If you don't work 35 years for Social Security, your benefit amount will likely be lower because the Social Security Administration (SSA) uses your highest 35 years of earnings, substituting zeros for any years you didn't work or had very low earnings, which reduces your average. While you generally need 10 years (40 credits) to qualify for retirement benefits, working fewer than 35 years means those zero-earning years significantly impact your monthly check, but more work (even after stopping) can replace zeroes with higher earnings to boost your benefit.
Some income support payments let you build up Working Credit while you work. Working Credit lets you earn more income before your income support payment is reduced, or stops. If you use all your Working Credit and your income is above the cut off point, your payments may stop.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) keeps a database of your earnings record and work credits, tracking both through your Social Security number. You can see this information on your Social Security Statement.
To be eligible for retirement benefits you must have at least 40 credits of Social Security. You earn these credits when you work and pay FICA taxes. The credit limit per year is four, but you can earn them any time during your life. Once you have earned credits they never expire.
You have the right to request one free copy of your credit report each year from each of the three major consumer reporting companies (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com. You may also be able to view free reports more frequently online.
Experian offers South African consumers free unlimited access to their Experian personal credit report and credit score.
You can't borrow them or transfer them from someone else's record. The only way to earn your credits is by working and paying Social Security taxes. In 2026, you earn one credit for each $1,890 in income from “covered” work.
The lowest Social Security payment is determined by the Special Minimum Benefit, which provides a higher amount for low-wage earners with long work histories, starting around $53.50 monthly for 11 years of work in 2026, but this benefit is rarely paid to new retirees because regular benefits based on modern wages usually exceed it, with the actual lowest amount depending on individual work records and claiming age.
This statement is available online through your My Social Security account. The statement provides a summary of your earnings and the number of credits you've earned to date.
To find accounts in your name, check your credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com for credit cards/loans and your ChexSystems report at ChexSystems.com for bank accounts, plus search your state's unclaimed property database (like MissingMoney.com) for forgotten funds, and look for unusual activity in IRS/SSA records for potential fraud. There's no single place, so combine these methods for a comprehensive view of credit, banking, and old accounts.
The Reality. There is no monetary value to a birth certificate or a social security number/EIN, and TreasuryDirect accounts must be funded by the owner (from the owner's personal bank account) to have any value.
Essential Requirements: How do I qualify for the $16728 Social Security bonus? To qualify for this bonus, you must meet specific criteria: Age Requirements: You must be between your full retirement age and 70 years old. Full retirement age varies by birth year – typically 66-67 for current retirees.